How to Safely Remove Lint and Pills from Merino Wool

Have you taken your merino wool clothes out of winter storage yet? Because that beautiful late summer we were promised—it clearly has other plans. Brrr. Despite that, it’s always a treat to see your winter favourites again. Or… is it a bit of a letdown this time? Have they—unlike you—visibly aged? Are those little fuzzy balls and pills on your favourite merino wool sweater?

Ouch. You overlooked that when, dizzy from the first rays of sunshine, you were spring-cleaning your closet. Nothing to worry your wool over: lie through your teeth and tell the girls they look AMAZING. Never better.o And that calls for a celebration. With a spa day. You can be sure they’ll fall for it hook, line, and sinker: you’ve known them for a long time. This is your strategy. Pick a date, stock up on a bunch lof lotions and po(, and roll up your sleeves to treat your merino-wool friends to a rejuvenation treatment. Let’s do this. KILL THE PILL.

*First, just a quick note. Pills and fuzz are inseparable from (merino) wool. That’s because wool is (animal) hair with a natural curl. If you expose it to friction, it’ll felt. Felting is kind of like tangling: if you’re blessed with a head of curls à la Nicole, then you know—just like she does—that you shouldn’t rub them dry with full force after washing. Otherwise, you’ll end up with dreads à la Ilse, and you’d better really want that (luckily, she does ☺). Fact: when you wear woolen clothes, every movement causes friction. In other words: it’s impossible to avoid that (merino) wool pilling. We just want to reassure you: you’re not doing anything wrong. We’re more than happy to help you out—let’s tackle this little problem together.

How to Remove Lint and Pills from Your Merino Wool

1. Lay your merino wool garment as flat and smooth as possible. Ideally on an ironing board: it’s narrow enough to slide under your sweater or cardigan, since treating one layer of the knit at a time is the safest method. Grab your wool/pill comb. Use one hand to gently stretch the knit until it lies completely flat. Run the comb in one direction—it doesn’t really matter which direction. Check to see if lint is actually sticking to the comb. If not, apply a little more pressure, but be careful not to apply too much. Knitwear has a natural stretch, and you don’t want it to lose its shape.

Repeat this until most of the lint and pills have been removed. In between passes, clean the comb by pulling the lint off it. Not quite satisfied yet? Repeat the procedure in the opposite or crisscross direction until you are satisfied. But don’t go so far as to completely strip your merino wool garment. You can remove it all, but it won’t grow back on its own.

2. More lint than the lint comb can handle? Then you can also try using a clean, sharp razor blade. By this, we don’t mean a loose blade, but one in a holder that you also use for your legs and/or lady parts. Your garment really needs to lie super-smooth on the ironing board, otherwise you’ll cut right through a wrinkle or fold. So, in addition to a steady hand, you’ll also need nerves of steel. Just kidding. It’s perfectly doable, but you do have to concentrate.

3. A pill shaver is also a handy tool for shaving lint and pills right off knitwear. But why choose a battery-operated method when you can do it sustainably by hand? It’s just as meditative as gardening, minus the stubborn weeds.

I can hear you thinking. What a hassle. Is there really no way to prevent pilling and fuzz on my favourite merino wool sweater? No. Well… maybe a little. There are a few tips and tricks, but they’re more about delaying the problem than preventing it. For the sake of completeness, we’ll list them for you anyway.

Tips for Preventing Pilling and Fuzz on Merino Wool

1. Don’t wear the same (merino) wool garment for several days in a row. Wool fibers, just like memory foam, have shape retention. If you let a worn garment rest for 24 hours, you give the fibers a chance to recover.
2. Always follow the care instructions. They’re there for a reason.
3. Use a special wool detergent. This keeps the natural lanolin coating of the wool intact, which keeps the fibers supple and prevents them from felting as quickly.
4. Wash your garment in a laundry bag. The less friction, the fewer pills and fuzz.
5. Here’s a tip from the “it can’t hurt to try” category: put a new wool garment in a tightly sealable plastic bag and place it in the freezer overnight. It’s said to stabilize the wool fibers, but this hasn’t been scientifically proven. To be honest, we’ve never tried it ourselves: if you find that it works, we’d love to hear about it.
6. Still getting pills and fuzz? Don’t pick at them with your fingers! You’ll only pull more fibers to the surface, which will then start to felt with double the intensity. So hold back, and follow the instructions above carefully. It’ll be fine.

Last but not least. Don’t let old wives’ tales about pills and fuzz stop you from enjoying merino wool. It’s a beautiful natural product that’s worth cherishing. Yes, merino wool can pill. No, that doesn’t mean “end of story.” To throw our favourite (loosely translated) Cruijff (Dutch pro football player) quote into the mix once again: “Every disadvantage has its advantage.” And the downside of pilling doesn’t outweigh the enormous benefits that merino wool has to offer. So keep investing in merino wool garments: care for them with love, and they’ll repay you with warmth, comfort, and a long lifespan.

Got you attention? In our shop, you’ll find the latest merino wool items—you really have to check them out!